Volume 10

Spring 2012

FIRST LAPD RESERVE OffICER KIllEd IN THE LINE of DUTY:

ThE LoSt StorY oF GEorgE BooKEr MoglE

By Reserve Officer Michael Sellars

eserve Policeman George Booker Mogle was killed in the line of duty in 1946. He was shot by a prowler suspect on July 31 and died of his wounds a week later, on August 7. For more than 50 years, this was the only information generally known about Mogle. The story faded into history. He was considered the first LAPD reserve officer to be killed in the line of duty, but there were no further details and not even a picture of him was thought to have existed.

Eventually, even his full name got somewhat lost, as he became known as G.B. Mogle. And G.B. Mogle was nowhere to be found on the memorial of LAPD officers killed in the line of duty. We know now that Mogle, and what happened to him, did not entirely disappear. The information was out there, just waiting to continued on pg 8 See George Booker Mogle

Revealed: a rare photo of George Booker Mogle

Reserve Officers Honored at Twice A Citizen Banquet

INSiDE THiS ISSUE

Page 2 Reserve Coordinators Message Presidents Message Page 3 R9s Message Page 4 Twice a Citizen Banquet Message from Captain Rigoberto Romero Page 7 Reserve Appreciation Barbeque LAPRF Community First Responder Event Page 10 Avoiding Contagious Fire

The 2012 Twice A Citizen Banquet was held in the Air Force One Pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Story on page 4.

Page 12 KCET TV Airs Part-Time Blues

The Rotator Spring 2012

DEpartmENt RESErVE CoorDINatorS MESSagE

By Police Administrator II Gloria Grube

s we enter the summer of 2012, I would like to thank you for all your continued contributions and dedication to the Reserve Corps. It is because of your countless hours of service and dedication that this program continues to be a success year after year. The Reserve Corps success truly relies upon its members and their willingness to sacrifice for the good of the Corps. The members of the LAPD Reserve Corps, as well as our LAPD Volunteers, continue to demonstrate their dedication on a daily basis. I extend my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you. Since the publication of the last edition of The Rotator, the Reserve Corps continues to move forward as a model law enforcement reserve and volunteer program. We are continually contacted by outside agencies looking to improve their program or researching how to start a program. This is a huge compliment to the success of our program and really shows that we have put

our mark on the law enforcement communitys reserve culture. The Twice a Citizen Banquet, which was held on March 24, 2012, kicked off Reserve Recognition Month and was another great success with approximately 600 attendees. Chief of Police Charlie Beck presented awards to reserve officers who have gone above and beyond during the past year to distinguish themselves as top reserves at their respected areas of assignment. The event was held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library with the Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening, news anchor Christine Devine of Fox 11 News. This years top award for Reserve Officer of the Year was awarded to Reserve Officer Jim Speed from Hollenbeck Area. The Reserve Appreciation Barbeque was held on Saturday, April 14, at the Police Administration Building. We recognized several more reserve officers with awards that were presented by Chief Charlie Beck and Assistant Chief Sandy Jo

MacArthur. After the awards presentation, reserve officers were able to take pictures with Chief Beck, as well as with the Adam-12 replica police vehicle. A raffle was held throughout the day with reserves winning prizes, such as Starbucks gift cards, reserve challenge coins, tickets to the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and two Ithaca shot guns, which were given out to reserve officers already trained in the Ithaca. Over the last six months, we have continued to make many advances in all areas of the reserve program and have seen many improvements within the Reserve Corps. This includes California POST training compliance, which we value greatly. We have also participated in many great events, such as Tip-A-Cop, Mobile Field Force Training, CATS 5k/10k run/walk, live-fire training at Burro Canyon and many task force operations throughout our city. I look forward to working with all of you in helping to continue to make the LAPD Reserve Corps the leader in law enforcement for 2012 and beyond.

PrESIDENtS MESSagE
Message from the President of the Reserve Foundation
Headshot here

By Reserve Ofcer Melvin B. Kennedy

ear fellow reserves and volunteers, this year, we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the LAPDs Police Reserve Corps, the foundation of which was first formed during World War II and then permanently established in 1947. Over the years, thousands of people have answered the call to service by becoming Los Angeles Police reserves and volunteers. In its lifetime, the Reserve Corps has responded to war, fires, floods, earthquakes and riots. There were many highs and lows through those years; for some the experience was very rewarding, and for others there may have been disappointment. Standards, duties and deployment have changed
The Rotator Spring 2012

many times and for a variety of reasons, but still they were drawn to serve. They gave of their time and made sacrifices, not for glory or recognition and certainly not for the money, but because they knew in their hearts it was the right thing to do. Sadly, the names of many of those extraordinary citizens who were willing to risk their lives in service to their community have been lost, and there may be no records to quantify their contributions. However, their legacy of service remains and is now carried on by you. Each of you donates so much of your time to make our city a safer place to live. Service and sacrifice does not go unnoticed. Those officers alongside whom

we have served were watching and taking note of our conduct and commitment, our service and professionalism. We were recognized as vital part of the LAPD, a valuable bridge between the Department and the community. Those officers now serve in the highest ranks of the Department and are our most ardent supporters. These are the Golden Years of the Reserve Corps, so stay involved, work well with each other and carry forward the legacy. Please remember to express your gratitude to Chief Charlie Beck, the command staff, supervisors, fellow officers and civilian workers for their contributions, service and support.

rESErVE oFFIcEr INSUraNcE protEctIoNS

By Reserve Ofcer Jim Lombardi (R9)

ver the years, the federal government and the California state legislature have enacted laws to afford insurance benefits to peace officers. Included in this employee group are appointed reserve peace officers. The federal death while on duty benefit is approximately $323,000. The California death benefit of $290,000 covers peace officers while performing duties that are within the course and scope of their police responsibilities. Additionally, fees and tuition to the state university system are also waived for the surviving spouse and children. This benefit may apply under certain off-duty police scenarios. If you are injured while on duty, the City is responsible for your medical and rehabilitation expenses. In addition, state mandated

workers compensation benefits apply for your recovery period. Labor Code Section 4458.2 states that a reserve peace officer will receive the maximum disability indemnity figure irrespective of his or her remuneration from this or other employment or from both. The present benefit is a little more than $1,000 per week. Additional death and disability insurance is afforded reserve officers if they are members of the California Reserve Peace Officers Association. They are: a death benefit of $30,000 and disability benefit of $400 per week. These additional benefits also cover a reserve officers immediate family if they are with the officer who becomes involved in a police-type incident or while traveling to the officers assignment or training.

This additional disability benefit provides the reserve with $1,400 per week, total, if he or she is prevented from performing his or her normal police activities. Please let your family know that these insurance protections exist. Hopefully, I should be able to bring you up to date on the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) and how it affects our active and retired reserve officers. Do not forget to mark your calendars for the Annual Reserve Peace Officers Conference (ARPOC) to be held in San Diego August 22-25. Twenty-four hours of POST-approved training will be provided by top law enforcement instructors. Also included will be two eight-hour POST coordinators update classes. Additional information can be found on the CRPOA website. Be vigilant and safe.

The Newsletter for LAPD Reserve Officers

Join the Team: Become a Los Angeles Reserve Police Officer

Start the process of becoming a Los Angeles Police Department reserve officer by attending an orientation at the city of Los Angeles Personnel Department. For more information, call a recruiter at (213) 486-4730.

Volume 10

Spring 2012

Editor: Reserve Officer Michael Sellars The Rotator is published twice per year and is funded by the Los Angeles Police Reserve Foundation. Submissions, questions and comments for The Rotator can be sent to the Editor at michaelsellars@sbcglobal.net. Those interested in learning more about the LAPD Reserve Corps can contact the ROVS unit at (213) 486-4730.

Winner of a Communicator Award

Published by 911Media, a division of Trade News International, Inc.

Phone (818) 848-6397

The Rotator Spring 2012

LAPD RESERVE OFFICERS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS HONORED AT ANNUAL BANQUET

By Reserve Ofcer Michael Sellars

n March 24, the annual Twice a Citizen Banquet was held for the second year in the Air Force One Pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library underneath

the wings of the Boeing VC-137C aircraft, tail number 27000, that served seven U.S. presidents from 1973-2001. Guests could arrive earlier in the day for a tour of museum before the cocktail

Chief of Police Charlie Beck speaking at the banquet. Standing next to him is Assistant Chief Sandy Jo MacArthur.

reception and banquet honoring Los Angeles Police reserve officers and community leaders. The Department Reserve Officer of the Year was announced: Officer James Speed of Hollenbeck Area, where he has worked his entire career. Officer Speed worked a variety of uniformed assignments before being assigned to Hollenbeck Areas Gang Detective Section. In 2011, he was reassigned to the Homicide Unit. Since then he has routinely made himself available for off-hours callouts. He attended to LAPDs Basic Detective and Homicide schools, and is the liaison with the coroners office, assuming the responsibility of completing follow-up reports on undetermined death cases. Additionally, he has taken on the task of coordinating the pickup and booking of all of Hollenbeck Areas backlogged coroners evidence. Officer Speed also received the Area and Central Bureau honors. The West Bureau Reserve Officer of the Year is Officer Roman Delatorre of Olympic Area. Officer Delatorre has worked patrol in basic car assignments at Rampart and Southwest,

CaptaINS MESSagE
By Captain Rigoberto Romero
Headshot here

A
4

s we approach the midway point of 2012, I would like to thank everyone involved with the Reserve Corps for making me feel welcome in my new assignment. Over the past several months, I have witnessed firsthand the hard work and dedication reserve officers have displayed at every Reserve Corps event I have attended.

From the Twice A Citizen Banquet to the Reserve Appreciation Barbecue, the Reserve Corps came out in numbers to support each other and the Department. The participation at these events is outstanding and is just another example of why the LAPD Reserve Corps is a leader in the law enforcement community. I look forward to future events, such as the Special Olympics and the scheduled reserve

officer training days, where I can again observe the professionalism and enthusiasm for the job each one of you shows on a daily basis. Again, thank you for your dedication to the Department, and I look forward to assisting you in any way I can. Sincerely, Captain Romero

The Rotator Spring 2012

and he has worked Olympic Gangs. For the last five years, he has been a fireman for the City of Los Angeles. He has provided extensive CPR and physical fitness training to Olympic Area cadets. Reserve Officer Steve Getz of West Valley Area received the honors for Valley Bureau. During the past year, Officer Getz has worked more than 1,000 hours and averaged 400-500 hours every year, often working DUI checkpoints and impound task forces. He has received five commendations for his attention to duty, exemplary investigation and report-writing skills and professionalism. The South Bureau Reserve Officer of the Year is Officer Matthew Krieger of 77th Area. In addition to serving as a line level police officer, Officer Krieger has taken on several projects for the Department, including the establishment of the 77th Street Area Foundation. He also works closely with Metropolitans K-9 Unit, providing veterinary services and specialized training through his company, TLC Veterinary Centers. During the presentation, Chief of Police Charlie Beck recognized the honored officers by noting that LAPD reserve police officers give so much, for so many people, for so little. The banquet also honored two community leaders, Austin Beutner and Councilman Joe Buscaino. Mr. Beutner has, over the years, contributed much to the City of Los Angeles as a business leader and philanthropist. Most recently, he served as first deputy mayor for Los Angeles and chief executive for economic and business policy. From January 2010 to April 2011, he served as the Citys job czar for a salary of $1 a year. Newly-elected Councilman Buscaino, representing the 15th District of Los Angeles, has been an LAPD police officer since 1997 and spent the last six years in Harbor Area as a senior lead officer. Chief Beck said that there is perhaps no greater preparation for the City Council than to work with the community as an SLO. After his election, Councilman Buscaino retired from fulltime service and has transitioned to the reserves. The annual Twice a Citizen Banquet is funded by the Los Angeles Police Reserve Foundation. Foundation President Mel Kennedy

Department Reserve Officer of the Year James Speed. Officer Speed is assigned to Hollenbeck Area and also received the honor for Central Bureau.

West Bureau Reserve Officer of the Year Roman Delatorre, Olympic Area.

Valley Bureau Reserve Officer of the Year Steve Getz, West Valley Area. said that the Foundation, establish in 1984, was originally formed to help recognize the exceptional, often unheralded service of the members of the Reserve Corps.

South Bureau Reserve Officer of the Year Matthew Krieger, 77th Area. The ceremony was hosted by Fox 11 News Anchor Christine Devine. NBC 4s Fritz Coleman ran a lively auction, helping to provide funds to support the Reserve Corps.
The Rotator Spring 2012

LAPD rESErVE oFFIcErS oF thE YEar

2011 aWaRd RECIpIENTS

Department Reserve Officer of the Year

James Speed

Bureau Reserve Officers of the Year

Steve Getz Valley Bureau James Speed Central Bureau Roman Delatorre West Bureau Matthew Krieger South Bureau

Community Leaders Honored

Austin Beutner First Deputy Mayor, City of Los Angeles Joe Buscaino Los Angeles City Council, District 15

Area and Divisional Reserve Officers of the Year

Teresa Lincoln Air Support Division Steven Alegre Central Area Frank Wada Central Trafc Division Stephen Nichols Coordinator of the Year Harry Wong Detective Support and Vice Division Gary Krystof Devonshire Area John Frankman Foothill Area Edward Beardsley Harbor Area James Speed Hollenbeck Area Trevor Ingold Hollywood Area Zully Roman Media Relations and Community Affairs Group Valentin Quintana Mission Area Rogelio Cuevas Newton Area Ismael Moreno North Hollywood Area Cathy Euler Northeast Area Roman Delatorre Olympic Area Brent Carey Pacic Area Frank Tavelman Rampart Area Ken Wong Recruitment and Employment Division Christine Smith Robbery-Homicide Division Matthew Krieger 77th Area Mark Payette Southeast Area Pernell Miles Southwest Area James Rene Topanga Area William Zimmerman Valley Trafc Division Robert Aguirre Van Nuys Area Mark Dundore West Los Angeles Area Johnny Lee West Trafc Division Steve Getz West Valley Area Mary Young Wilshire Area

The Rotator Spring 2012

AboUt thE LoS ANgElES PolIcE RESErVE FoUNDatIoN

In the late 1980s, the Foundation began to fund equipment, training and morale-building activities like Care and Share, the building of the Academy Chapel, the Reserve Picnic and the creation of a welfare fund to assist reserves in a time of need. In the late 1990s, the annual Twice A Citizen dinner began to honor the service of community leaders and highlight the Reserve Corps and its efforts, as well as to raise funds. In 2004, both events were merged into the Twice A Citizen awards dinner. Today, the Foundations primary mission is to provide financial support for the Reserve Corps. Our Board of Directors includes community leaders and fellow LAPD reserve officers and members of the Corps who meet regularly to serve those who serve. The funding efforts include reimbursements for training conference fees, safety equipment and firearms purchases not covered by the Department, as well as support for community events, such as Reserve Recruitment, Special Olympics and Sunshine Kids. We have helped to provide additional equipment and funds for training that can be essential to officer safety: bulletproof assault vests for reserve officer members of the Police Rifle Cadre; state-of-the-art flight helmets for reserve pilot/ observers; and equipment for mounted units. Much of this equipment can be prohibitively expensive for any one individual, especially in these challenging economic times, and the funding by the Foundation has been, in this very real sense, a lifeline. The Foundation has also provided travel assistance for reserves representing the LAPD at national and international events. And we have provided bereavement and emergency assistance to reserves and their families. Our Los Angeles reserve police officers have quietly and steadfastly served our great City for a very long time, often putting their lives on the line. It is with this history of service and sacrifice in mind that our goal is to continue to supply, equip, support and honor the members of our Los Angeles Police Reserve Corps. (Editors Note: This article was originally printed in the Tribute Book , which was distributed at this years banquet. It is an abridged version.)

he Los Angeles Police Reserve Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, originally formed in 1984 to help recognize the exceptional, often unheralded, service of the members of the Corps. The Foundation funded the Annual Reserve Officer of the Year Banquet, a dinner honoring the outstanding reserve officers of that year, a tradition established in the late 1970s.

RESERVE APPRECIATION BARBEQUE

LAPRF CommUNItY FIrSt RESpoNDEr EVENt

On April 14, a barbeque was held at PAB as part of the LAPDs Reserve Appreciation month. Chief Charlie Beck thanked the families of reserve police officers, who must put up with, and go through, a lot, as their loved ones serve the City of Los Angeles.

LAPD Reserve Police Officers pose for pictures at the Community First Responder Event at McDonalds in Encino on February 18.
The Rotator Spring 2012

GEorgE BooKEr MoglE - coNtINUED From pg 1

of inquiries for the new reserve officer exhibit being planned at the Los Angeles Police Museum, located in the old Highland Park station. Lieutenant Craig Herron tasked his team to find some information about Policeman Mogle. A picture was found. It had been hanging on a wall at 77th Division where Mogle had been assigned and worked his final shift. The Rotator began to look for information in preparation for this article. Newspaper archives were researched and family members were located. And, as The Rotator went to press, a surprising discovery was made, providing a final, ironic twist to the story. This is what we now know about Reserve Policeman George Booker Mogle and what happened that fateful summer in Los Angeles in 1946. George Booker Mogle was born in Kansas at the turn of the century on August 31, 1900, to William Arley and Daisy May Mogle. His grandfather, Andrew Jackson Mogle, had come to Kansas to stake out homestead land and make a life for his family. The young George Booker was named after his uncle, George Booker Mogle, who had died tragically only a few years before in 1896 after falling off a spooked horse crossing a river and being mortally kicked in the head by the horse. A World War I draft registration card dated September 1918 lists the then-18-year-old Mogles occupation as repairman employed at the Liberty Auto Company in Wichita. Records say that his mother Daisy died a year later in 1919. By 1921 he was in Los Angeles, having married Ida Viola Duncan. He and his new wife lived on 65th Street in Los Angeles. They had A newspaper clipping of the wounded Reserve Policeman Mogle, with his wife two children, George Ervin and Luella. and daughter by his side. The officer would succumb to his wounds. be rediscovered. There were newspaper clippings and, finally, a few pictures, revealing who he was. There were family members, some by now far removed, who had steadfastly kept those tattered, yellowed newspaper clippings and photographs. And we now know that a few generations followed this hero into full-time careers with the LAPD. Mogles son, George Ervin, joined the LAPD as a full-time officer in 1947, just a year after his fathers death. He retired as a sergeant of police in 1967, but he would still be made to stand by to stand by for an additional 30 years before his fathers name would be added to the roll call of fallen heroes in 1996. And it was not until last year, 2011, that a further effort was made to find out who this hero was. The first steps occurred as a result 8
The Rotator Spring 2012

His daughter, Luella, now 87, remembers her father was big-hearted but somewhat stubborn. When, at 18 years old, she had fallen in love with the boy next door and decided to marry him, her father was dead set against the idea not because he was against the young man, but because America was at war, and Luellas fianc was headed into it. But his daughter was equally stubborn and in August 1943, George Booker was there, of course, to walk her down the aisle to marry Private First Class William Tralle. Later, William would also become an LAPD officer, retiring as a sergeant. George Booker Mogle continued to work as an auto mechanic, usually working out of his house. His brother, Clifford, was the personal bodyguard and chauffeur for actress Janet Gaynor (1937s A Star is Born), and he would often come by the Mogle house in his uniform, driving his limousine. When World War II hit, Mr. and Mrs. Mogle answered the call for service. Ida Viola would work at McDonald Douglas. And George Booker became a reserve Los Angeles policeman. Wartime Los Angeles was a boom town, with the area generating about 17 percent of the total American war production. At night, the city was blacked out. Luella remembers those worrisome times, as families placed blackout curtains on their windows to darken the city, and searchlights scanned the skies for enemy aircraft. The 1940s was also a period of change for the LAPD as the Department transitioned in stops and starts from the turbulent 1930s of graft and corruption to the gradual reform beginning in the 1940s. As the United States entered World War II, the LAPD found itself back to the manpower levels of 1925 as its officers went off to fight in the war. To supplement the force, the LAPD turned to auxiliary police officers. The LAPD Reserve Corps would not be officially established by the City Council until 1947, but these auxiliary officers had already found themselves providing vitally needed police services, including patrol. At one point in the 1940s, the auxiliaries swelled to 2,500 officers. It was during this time that Mogle was assigned to 77th Division. He was in charge of what was

called Company 2. Mogle and his partner Fred Sturdy were working patrol in the dark morning hours of July 31, 1946, a Wednesday. Records show the summer temperature had dipped to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. They observed and stopped a suspicious pedestrian on 60th Street, between Vermont and Kansas Avenue, to question him. The suspect had been darting in between and through the houses. What happened next was described by Mogle himself at the hospital, before he died, and quoted by the newspapers of the day. Were police officers, what are you doing here? Mogle inquired. Whats it to you, the squinty-eyed suspect replied. The suspect then pulled out a gun an old-style 32 revolver with a well-worn barrel and fired point blank at Mogle, hitting the officer in the stomach. The suspect then ran off as the officers returned fire. Mogle was transported to the Georgia Street Receiving Hospital, where he underwent surgery. The Rotator asked Luella if she remembers where she was when she heard the tragic news. It was so long ago, she said, But I think police officers came to our house, and we headed to the hospital. There is an old newspaper clipping with a picture of the reserve policeman in a hospital bed with his distraught wife and daughter by his side. Luella said her father was unconscious much of the time. The doctors had been unable to extract the bullet, which had been lodged in the lungs. As we know, Policeman Mogle did not survive. He succumbed to his wounds a week later, on August 7, 1946. The LAPD used to keep a scrapbook of newspaper clippings from 1945 until Chief William H. Parker passed away in 1966. There is an article saved from the Angeles Mesa News, Police Reserves Pay Tribute to First Member Killed on Duty. He had been shot, the article said, while attempting to arrest a suspect in the 1100 block on West 60th Street. The suspect, then still at large, was described as a Caucasian male, 35-40 years old, 5-feet, 9-inches tall, weighing 150 pounds and of slender build and fair complexion with brown hair and a thin face. The article reported: Uniformed police

Reserve Corps members from the 12 police divisions of the city attended (the) memorial service for Booker Mogle. Chief of Police C.B. Horrall presented Mogles badge to his family. Detectives apprehended and arrested a suspect: a 38-year-old laborer named Clifford V. Christianson. The arrest was said to have been the result of an underworld tip and the description of the suspect was, they said, a match. However, the suspect was never charged with the shooting. Family members say that the officers son was forever disappointed by these circumstances. No further information was found as to why it ended up the way that it did.

Portrait of George Ervin Mogle. This picture was previously thought to be of George Booker Mogle, and had hung on the wall of 77th Division. After that, the story slowly faded away. George Bookers son, George Ervin, who had served in World War II and been a prisoner of war (having been shot down over Germany and before being liberated by the British), was serving in the occupation of Japan at the time his father was killed. He came home and joined the LAPD full time in 1947 and served for 20 years. We know that, during his career, he shot and killed a burglary suspect, and he appears in several other news stories during the 1950s. Why the story of G.B. Mogle got lost, as it did, is difficult to say for certain. The circumstances

are probably due to the somewhat undefined status of reserve (or then auxiliary) officers in the Los Angeles Police Department in those days, one year before the official Police Reserve Corps would be established. And the Department was still in the birth pangs of reform. The reformminded chief Arthur C. Hohmann would lose his job in 1941 after only two years and be replaced by Clemence B. Horall, who would find himself embroiled in a scandal eight years later. Six months after Mogles murder, the city would be shocked and engrossed by the Black Dahlia case. So Policeman Mogle would be laid to rest and would have to wait. After the Reserve Corps was officially created, reserve officers were relegated primarily to special event enforcement, including traffic and crowd control, which would last until the program was revamped in the 1960s with an emphasis on line officers for patrol. By then, it had been forgotten that a previous generation had already paved the way, providing such services when the country was at war. Coincidentally, Mogles son retired in 1967, just one year before the first line reserve Academy class began. It is, perhaps, an example of fate that, when The Rotator called the phone number we had located for the widow of George Ervin, the man who answered was also a retired LAPD officer and turned out to be the son-in-law of Sergeant Mogle. Kenneth Coleman just happened to be there, having driven 1,000 miles from California to take care of his mother-in-law, Mrs. Ruth Mogle. Sergeant Mogle was a humble man, part of the Greatest Generation, as they say, and family members say he was hesitant to talk about the war or the sacrifices endured. And he kept mostly quiet to the slight his father had endured. But some people were listening. In the mid-1990s, Leonard Munoz, a Director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, and others heard the story and pushed for the recognition of George Booker Mogle. A 1995 article in the newsletter of the Los Angeles Police Historical Society continued on pg 10 See George Booker Mogle
The Rotator Spring 2012

AVoIDINg CoNtagIoUS FIrE

By Reserve Ofcer Charles Nicgorski, Firearms and Tactics Unit

ontagious fire is a very interesting concept. Some say it doesnt truly exist, and others argue that it is a headline grabber used by the media to sensationalize shootings where multiple officers are firing multiple rounds without an apparent explanation. Stories that paint officers as out of control tend to sell newspapers whether they are true or not. In reality, and for the purpose of our article, we will refer to contagious fire as the spontaneous firing of ones weapon solely because another officer fired first, even though one did not perceive the threat ones self. We see this happen often in training situations. Recruits are given specific instructions, but when the targets turn, someone fires a round or rounds out of turn and others join in. On a range, it may just waste a little ammo and tick off the instructors, but on the streets it can have far-ranging implications. As one thesis stated, Quite simply, in matters of life and death, police officers should never discharge their firearms out of an unconscious, uncontrolled reaction to their fellow officers decision to shoot. Consider if you will the North Hollywood Shootout. Multiple officers were firing multiple

rounds, but all officers perceived and could see the actual threat themselves. They were not firing simply because others fired first. This is not an example of contagious fire. Now look at some police shootings where officers heard a shot and then began to fire, sometimes not even at an actual target, but in a general direction. That is a scary thought. In one such encounter, deputies were standing around a stopped van in a horseshoe pattern. When one deputy was seen falling down to the ground, others opened fire. Even after dozens of rounds were fired, the suspect was only hit several times and survived. Houses and another deputy were hit in the crossfire, and it leaves you wondering just where and what were the deputies aiming at? If we have decided to shoot to stop the threat, how would one know to stop shooting if one could not even see the threat? Of course we are not ruling out directed cover fire, which is allowed by Department policy in certain situations, but that is another discussion. We are referring to that unconscious, uncontrolled reaction. Look at a scenario where it is just you and a partner. You are both at different positions and have a slightly different view of the suspect. Its a high-risk encounter, and suddenly your partner

opens fire on the suspect. Do you also engage? You will later be asked why you fired. You will need a better answer than Im not sure or Because my partner did. Your partner later says that from his angle he saw the suspect reach for his waistband. If they roll him over and he has a gun, you will breathe a sigh of relief. But what if they only find a cell phone? FID will want to know what you saw and why you perceived a threat. Remember that you and you alone are responsible for every round that leaves your barrel. You will need to articulate each round fired. Did YOU see the hand go for the waistband? Did YOU see a weapon? Did it appear to YOU that suspect was now posing a threat to your partner or yourself? At what point did YOU determine that deadly force was warranted? You can see where we are going with this. Easy answers dont always exist, but who said that the responsibility that goes with carrying a firearm was easy? So what can assist us in avoiding contagious fire? During FBI Firearms Instructor courses, it was noted that the highest percentage of contagious fire incidents were induced in low-light or night situations. The involved officers fire because they feel that they missed something that the

GEorgE BooKEr MOGLE

coNtINUED From pg 9

reports that they were contacted by a retired detective, who told them about the forgotten hero. Finally, on July 31,1996 50 years to the day he was shot George Booker Mogle was finally honored in a ceremony at Parker Center, and his name was added to the Police Memorial, from which it had been inadvertently omitted. George Ervin and Luella, the son and daughter, were in attendance. The son, having flown down from Oregon, where he had since retired, said: I feel that, at last, he finally got the honor he deserved. Newspaper reports at the time said that George Bookers widow was there, but this was not true; they had misidentified Ruth Mogle, who was actually George Ervins wife. Ida Viola had died earlier that year, in March; she did not 10
The Rotator Spring 2012

survive in time to attend the memorial of her husband. Retired Sergeant George E. Mogle subsequently died in 2006. As The Rotator went to press, a surprising discovery was made. We sent a draft of the story to the Mogle family. The draft included the photograph that had been hanging on the wall of 77th Division all these years. But the family said the picture was not George Booker. It was, in fact, a picture of George Ervin, the son. Father and son, in a final ironic twist, had been mixed up, with the father once again facing obscurity. The family provided a rare photo of the real George Booker, revealed here, in these pages. George Booker Mogle is buried with his wife in the Inglewood Park Cemetery (originally

established in 1905, when he was but five years old). Luella thinks she might still have the badge given to the family by Chief Horrall. But it was so long, long ago. Long ago certainly, but finally not forgotten. Rest in peace Los Angeles Reserve Policeman George Booker Mogle, EOW August 7, 1946. (Editors Note: In addition to the individuals mentioned in this article, The Rotator would also like to thank the following for helping us to research this story: Reserve Officer and Los Angeles Police Reserve Foundation President Mel Kennedy, Officer Darrell Cooper, Kathryn Tralle Ryan, Leroy McCormack and Jerry and Paul Stewart.)

first shooter saw. So basically they doubted their own judgment. Better lighting would be a good thing to opt for in low-light situations. If you dont have one, consider going with the Pistol With Attached Light (PWAL). How about making sure you always have a light and even a smaller backup flashlight? Being able to accurately identify a threat cannot be overemphasized. Remember the firearms safety rule: Be sure of your target! Are you really willing to send rounds down range without knowing what or who is the intended target? Also remember the rule that you shall keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are aligned on the target and you intend to shoot. This can keep you from having a reflex action when you are surprised by the loud and unexpected sound of gunfire. You need to personally perceive the threat and make the appropriate move to place your finger on the trigger and take the shot.

Training is also important. LAPD has incorporated many shoot/no shoot scenarios in its training. Take advantage of these in-service shooting opportunities. From the FOS simulators to the use of cartoon targets, its important to pay attention to the intended target. Can you defend your choice to respond with deadly force? Know the law, and more importantly, know your department policy. State law spells out when you can legally shoot. The Department has its policy as to when you can fire, which may be a little more strict. If you are not sure or it has been a while, then pull out the manual and review it. You may even mentally review various scenarios and determine when you should use deadly force within Department guidelines. When it comes to the life of yourself and your partners, there should be no doubt as to what action you will take. Other scenarios may be more uncertain. Play the what

if game when you are out and about. Whatever you decide to do, make sure that it is ingrained in your head. Lastly, avoid the group mentality and peer pressure to be one of the guys. In the event that you become involved in a shooting, be sure that you can articulate the threat and the reasons that you chose to use deadly force. Dont forget that you need to articulate why you un-holstered in the first place. Ultimately, you must do what you need to do to ensure that you come home safe at the end of your shift. When necessary, you never want to hesitate to take action. But those actions need to be tempered with a dose of reality. Using deadly force has farreaching, life-changing implications. It can never be taken lightly, yet when the decision is reached to utilize that option, it must be used decisively and without reservation your life depends on it.

Qualification Schedule
Cycle # 1 2 3 4 5 6 Qualification Cycle January February/March April/May June/July August September/October November/December Officers with Less Than 20 Years of Service Shotgun Level III Exempt Qualify Duty Ammo Qualify Practice Ammo Qualify FOS None Qualify Practice Ammo Qualify Practice Ammo Officers with 20-29 Years of Service Shotgun Level III Exempt Qualify Duty Ammo None None None Qualify Practice Ammo None

Officers with 30 years or more of service are required to qualify one time per calendar year at their convenience, during cycle 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. Officers must qualify prior to the last week of handgun qualification cycles, unless exempted by their commanding officer: The last week of these cycles will be reserved for remediation and officers with the approved exemptions.
The Rotator Spring 2012

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LAPD RESERVE CORPS

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Los Angeles Police Department Reserve Officer and Volunteer Section 100 West First Street, Room #270 Los Angeles, CA 90012

KCET TV AIRS PART-TIME BLUES

n February 10, KCET TVs SoCal Connected profiled the Reserve Corps, which it called the secret weapon of the LAPD. The episode, entitled Part-Time Blues, introduced viewers to the Departments reserve program and noted that the LAPD officer you meet on the street might just be a reserve officer. It emphasized the level of professionalism the LAPD requires of its 422 sworn reserve officers, which is considered equivalent to a force of 100 full-time officers. The episode followed Reserve Officers Dave Vasquez and Ali Bashar on a foot beat in Central Area, noting that up to half the LAPD officers working the downtown monthly art walk are reserve officers. During the episode, officers were seen handling a 390 male. Historically the reserves have proven dependable, even heroic. One received the Medal of Honor; two were killed in the line of duty, said host Brian Rooney, son of 60 Minutes host Andy Rooney. The LAPD reserve program, it was said, is clearly distinguished from that of many other agencies,

some of which have been marred by politics and conflicts of interest. Not so in the LAPD, where reserves go through rigorous training, said Rooney. Chief Charlie Beck emphasized that it requires a big commitment to go through the 700-800 hours of training required. Lieutenant Craig Herron, OIC of ROVS, described the Corps as a cross section of society. Chief Charlie Beck, who started his law enforcement career as a reserve officer, said the Corps provides a big connection to the community, representing the Department. The show noted that the serial arsonist who plagued the city last year was apprehended by a Los Angeles reserve deputy on a traffic stop in Hollywood. Part-Time Blues was the result of Captain Rigoberto Romeros effort to reach out to the community and generate awareness about the reserve program as the new commanding officer of Recruitment and Employment Division. You can watch the episode online at http://www. kcet.org/shows/socal_connected/watch/#season4.

LAPRF NoW oN FacEbooK

he Los Angeles Police Reserve Foundation is now on Facebook, as part of our continuing efforts to reach out to our community and educate the citizens of Los Angeles about the LAPD Reserve Corps and how they can help support those who serve. Our Facebook page provides a channel for us to communicate regularly, in a format that encourages feedback and interaction. Join us at www.facebook.com/losangeles policereservefoundation.